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adversative use of
GHY, telling what the righteousness of faith does say, "the word is near
you, in your mouth and in your heart" (v. 8). If this is what Paul has in mind, then he
does indeed see the language of faith in Deut. 30:12-14.
In v. 9 Paul gives the basis for his connection between the "word" spoken of in
Deut. 30:14 and the word of faith. He uses the words
VWRYPDWLY and NDUGLYD from the OT
text and applies them to the human response to the gospel, which is confession with the
mouth and belief with the heart. He also continues with the subject of the incarnation and
resurrection of Christ. The object of confession is "Jesus [as] Lord," identifying Jesus as
the one true God who has come in the flesh, and the content of belief is "that God raised
Him from the dead" (v. 9). Submission to the revelation of God's righteousness in Christ
will be manifested in this confession of faith.
Paul seems to be interpreting the OT in light of the current moment in salvation
history in applying the proverbial questions asked about the law in Deut. 30:12-14 to the
redemptive acts of Christ. Paul's replacement of the law with Christ's incarnation, his
resurrection and the preaching of the gospel in his interpretation of Deut. 30:12-14
signals his view that the eschatological fulfillment of the law had come. The law had
only attested to the righteousness of God, but now in Christ God's righteousness is
revealed apart from the law (Rom. 3:21-22). All who respond in faith to God's gracious
revelation of his righteousness in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, will receive the
eschatological covenant blessing of eternal life. Paul is demonstrating a correspondence
between the revelation of the law and the revelation of Christ in which the former
foreshadows and finds its completion in the latter (Rom. 10:4). Paul also sees a
correspondence between the revelation of the law and the revelation of the gospel of